Trial by Fire
by Shattered Spectre
Summary: What will happen when Weiss is gone forever? Who will pay the price for her death?
1. Prologue

Trial by Fire

* * *

"Weiss!"

Someone called her name from somewhere in the forest. Weiss could barely hear over the sound of the roaring inferno around her. Smoke made it hard to breathe. Weiss looked around, not sure of where to run.

"Weiss, where are you?" Another voice called.

There was no way to tell if it was close or far, but Weiss had made up her mind.

_Run._ _I have to run._

But it was already too late. A tree gave in to its own weight and fell with an ominous creaking. Weiss had heard the commotion and turned to see it coming right for her. It hit hard with full force, crushing her underneath it. Heat from the singed end began burning through her clothes and seared her skin.

She screamed in pain, unable to move the monstrous weight with her torso and chest pinned. She attempted to flare her aura to no avail with inevitable death bearing down on her. Her rapier had been crushed underneath her, the glass vials of dust piercing her back.

She tried screaming again and an eruption of pain came from her lungs causing her vision to fade to black. An iron taste filled throat as she coughed up a mouthful of blood with more pain rushing through her.

In the midst of an unbearable pain a calmness came over her. A wave of cool wind seemed to course through her body. She let her head tilt to the left, dribbling the warm red liquid onto her cheek. There was no more pain, no need to breathe, no need to look back as her world began fading to white.

The last thing she saw were dark red leaves. No, rose petals…

"_No! Weiss!"_

And she was gone.


	2. Out of the Flames

Trial by Fire – Chapter Two

* * *

Weiss sat in the chair near her desk, watching Ruby clean Crescent Rose meticulously.

"_How can she remain so content? We're getting our first mission! I'm sitting here having a nervous fit and she's smiling, cleaning her oversized toy…" _Weiss' thoughts seemed to almost mock her.

"Ruby, how do you stay happy?" Weiss asked, breaking the long held silence.

The young girl looked up, a puzzled expression etched on her face, "You expect me to answer that off the top of my head?"

"No, take your time, please." Weiss replied.

"Too late, already have an answer." Ruby giggled cheerfully.

"Oh? Go on."

"Well, I guess it's like this," Ruby sighed, "I just find something I love, something I can't lose, and I hold on to it. That helps, knowing I'll always have something to come back to." She smiled shyly at Weiss.

"But that can't be anything real, Ruby. You can lose anything you can touch." Weiss said, confused.

"Exactly. So I have a feeling I've held onto, and it's kept me going since the first day here."

"I guess that would work, but you can lose feelings too." Weiss said, standing up to straighten her dress. Ruby sat her weapon aside and stood up, walking over to stand next to Weiss.

"No, I don't think that's true." Ruby said challengingly.

"What feeling could you possibly have that can't be lost in time?" Weiss asked with a small laugh.

"Well, I love you, and it's lasted through all you've put me through so far."

Weiss stared deep into Ruby's eyes. Weiss knew what Ruby meant. Every time she had treated Ruby like a worthless tool, Ruby had always to come back, entirely sure that she would change for the better.

"Yeah, I guess you'll be fine then." Weiss whispered, walking past Ruby and out of the dorm.

* * *

Now, Ruby sat on her bunk, tears streaming down her face. The last words Weiss had said to her were now echoing in her mind.

"She's gone…" Ruby whined in between sobs, "It's my fault. I wasn't fast enough."

Images of the charred corpse of the heiress flashed through Ruby's mind.

"I didn't get her out in time…"

* * *

"_Weiss! Weiss hold on, I'm getting you out of here!" _

Ruby's screams became weaker and weaker the more the smoke filled her lungs.

"_Please! Weiss!" _She pleaded.

However, there was no saving her.

"_We're almost out. If I keep running, I'll be able to get her to the hospital and she'll be just fine." _Ruby told herself repeatedly, carrying Weiss' limp body on her shoulders through the haze.

"_Just… A little… More…" _Ruby wheezed, collapsing from oxygen deprivation, "_I'm sorry… I wasn't fast enough Weiss…"_

Ruby reached out, taking Weiss scalded hand in her own and giving in to unconsciousness.

* * *

Ozpin took the stage with a somber expression. He looked out over the crowd at the approaching rainstorm. He took a breath, gathering his words and judging the expressions of the many faces looking up at him.

"I say this with a heavy heart. Today, a mission has gone immensely wrong. The team in question is RWBY. Today they have lost one of their members inside the Forever Fall forest."

The crowd remained silent, anxiously awaiting the news of the teams' graduation mission.

"Weiss Schnee has been killed."

This announcement sent the students into a frenzy. Weiss wasn't liked by many; however, she wouldn't hesitate to help anyone with the courage to ask her. It seemed as she was taken, just as her cold personality was beginning to melt.

"The team is on their way back, please give them your condolences, or leave them be if they so desire. That is all." Ozpin finished. He walked off the direction he had come. He walked down the hall back to his office where his door stood ajar.

Not how he had left it.

He entered and looked around. With nothing out of place, he took the seat at his desk. He reached for his coffee mug to take a sip, closing his eyes for only a second. There was now a figure standing in the doorway in front of him.

"She wasn't supposed to die, Cinder." Ozpin said with venom.

"Yes, yes, I know. It wasn't my fault. I set the forest on fire and she got crushed by a tree. Pity, she would have made a fine weapon."

"You have to know that even the general no longer trusts my judgment. He has your friend locked up. They will begin to suspect me in the days to come."

"All because the brat died? I'm sorry, but I think you have forgotten that students have died here before, especially on your little 'missions'. They're cannon fodder." Cinder strode forward with apathy in her movements.

"I'd created the perfect team!" Ozpin slammed his mug on to the desk. "And then you go and kill one of them! Her father will hear of this and track you down!"

"Honestly, her father is the least of my worries…" Cinder trailed off. "That 'Rose' girl seemed very, very stressed at what happened to her friend."

"I would be very upset I were in her position as well." Ozpin spat.

"Do you think I murdered her girlfriend?" Cinder smirked.

"This is not the time for jokes! We have no time left. I have no choice but to lead them on a hunt or you. We must get rid of the whole team and start again."

"Very well. Are you sure you just don't want me to kill them in their sleep?"

"Get out." Ozpin commanded.

"As you wish, uncle. I hope you get your 'perfect team' and they find out what you've done." Cinder muttered as she walked out of the door to the office.


End file.
